


Foam Heart

by lovebashed



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-03
Updated: 2012-02-03
Packaged: 2017-10-30 13:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/332187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovebashed/pseuds/lovebashed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank and Gerard flirt over coffee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Foam Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [fleurdeliser](http://fleurdeliser.livejournal.com) in 2010.

"So just regular black coffee, right?" The waiter, Hello My Name is FRANK, asks, cocking the pot in his hand. His hair ends are curling up against his cheeks and the column of his neck, disappearing into the collar of his plain black hoodie. Gerard turns his pencil in his hand and presses the tip against his palm, clutching his notebook to his chest. The newest sketch is just something he saw earlier in the morning and wanted to get off his mind. Putting it on paper sometimes helps with that, a lot like when you want to get rid of an earworm and listen to the song from start to finish, you just stop obsessing about it, make your peace with it.

"Yeah, thanks, man," Gerard gives him a small smile, then spends the next half hour watching the easy way Frank sails between tables and chairs as he balances plates on his forearms, pours coffee from the pot and gestures wildly with his hands while he chats with people.

Gerard doesn't usually stop for coffee on his way home from work, least of all in Belleville, since he could just gulp it down in his own bed in the basement, snuggled up all comfy under the blanket in his home pants while watching the TV news. But then Mikey'd said something yesterday while getting ready for another party, straightening his hair by the bathroom mirror while Gerard sat on the toilet lid and kept him company.

_Sometimes I worry about you, Gee._

And yeah, that had hit home big time.

So now he's wasting time in a coffee shop instead, just so he can tell Mikey about it in the evening and Mikey doesn't have to worry about him never going anywhere except for work anymore.

His coffee's already gone but he rolls the cup in his hands, watching the coffee stains like waves on the white porcelain. It's a nice place, soft cushiony pillows resting on comfortable chairs and no disposable paper or plastic mugs. He wonders why he's never been here before.

 

\--

 

"You met Frankie?" Mikey asks with a happy smile in the evening when they're both home and Mikey's sprawling out on Gerard's bed, arms spread out and reaching from one end of the bed to the other like motherfucking eagle wings. Gerard swats at Mikey's leg as he sits down on the edge of the mattress, trying to make more room for himself.

"Um, I guess?" Gerard bites his lip, thinking. "Yeah, the waiter, right? God, is there anyone you don't know?"

Mikey looks pleased under those bottle cap glasses and thin bangs, the corners of his mouth twisted up. "Frankie's cool," he just says, shrugging his whole upper back awkwardly against the mattress.

 

\--

 

On the next day Frank doesn't wait to take his order, just gives him a nod behind the counter as he grabs the coffee pot and a huge mug and walks over, practically beaming at him. "Take a seat," he says, "Regular coffee, right?"

"Wow, you have a great memory," Gerard says, feeling his belly fluttering at Frank's sharp giggle.

"Nah, it's just really selective," Frank says with a dopey grin as he slides the mug along the small round table until it bumps gently against Gerard's fingers. He swipes his messy, grown out hair from his eyes and says, "Enjoy. If you want a free refill, just holler, okay?"

"Okay, but you should know that if you keep promising me free coffee, you'll never get rid of me."

"I'll hold you to that," Frank winks before sauntering off, and it's been ages since he last tried flirting with someone, but Gerard's pretty sure that's what they were just doing.

 

\--

 

"Hey, Gerard," Frank greets him behind the counter. Gerard's been coming to the coffee shop every day for the past two weeks now, and Frank's always been there pouring him more coffee and giving him the daily, casual chat. On slow days, he'd even pull up a chair next to Gerard's and sit with him, or they'd go for a smoke outside. It's something Gerard's started really looking forward to, started counting the hours at work and glaring at the clock for not moving fast enough.

"Hey," Gerard bites his lip on a grin and walks over. It's a quiet day in the coffee shop, just a few people hunched over their mugs and pastries, the regular old lady reading the newspaper by the window.

"Listen, I know you don't really like to drink any special coffees, but what would you say about a simple latte today?" Frank's wearing this hopeful look on his face, like he really wants to serve him that latte.

"Um. I mean, I guess? What's the big deal?"

There's a smidgen of pink on Frank's cheeks, Gerard thinks he's never seen Frank this awkward before.

"It's just, I've been learning how to do these foam figures, right? I think I finally mastered this leaf thing, all I could do before was a stupid heart," Frank explains in a single breath.

"Oh?"

"And no one's wanted a latte today, can you fucking believe it?"

"Those bastards," Gerard laughs, curling his fingers against the edge of the counter.

"Fucking tell me about it! You'd be doing me a big favor, dude."

Gerard pushes away from the counter and smiles. "Well get to it, good man. I'm suddenly craving for one," watching as Frank gives him an excited look and gets to work.

Five minutes later Frank's head is still pressed down over the cup, his face one big frown and clumps of his hair falling over his face. "Shit shit shit. Oh, fuck you, you stupid son of a bitch, what the actual fuck?"

"Hey, is, um. What's the matter?" Gerard ventures, bringing his hand to Frank's wrist and hesitantly touching his wrist bone with his thumb.

"I fucked it up," Frank says, eyes fierce as he finally lifts his head from the latte. "Goddamn it, just, look, it's a fucking mess."

And, yeah, the figure on the foam really is just one big mess. It kinda looks like a bird had landed on the foam and pranced all over it.

"Hey, it's not that bad," Gerard says, and Frank gives him a big snort, pulling his wrist back and shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was trying to prove. I'll just get you your regular order, okay? Free of charge."

"What? No, man, come on. I can drink this."

Frank's looking at him like he's fucking crazy. He scoops the cup from the counter before Gerard can reach for it, holding it securely to his chest. "No way am I serving you something this fucked up. Just go take a seat and I'll be right back. Please?"

Gerard would protest but there's just something so pleading in the way that Frank is looking at him, like it's really important that Gerard just goes away now. He gives Frank a small smile, wanting to reassure him, then turns around and trudges over to his table.

Frank disappears into the back for a while, then finally comes back when Gerard's just opened his sketch book and began to cross hatch randomly on Superman's neck tendons. He smells of cigarette smoke and coffee when he leans over Gerard's shoulder, peering down at the book.

"Christ, you're amazing at this," he breathes out close to Gerard's cheek. Gerard feels a sudden urge to hide his book from Frank and doesn't know where it came from. "Here, it's not the leaf I promised you, and it's kind of fucking lame," Frank lets out a laugh as he sets the cup down next to the sketch on the table with careful movements, trying not to jostle the cup.

And fuck. It's really fucking adorable.

"Aww, I like it," Gerard beams at the wonky heart on the foam. "I feel like a delicate princess on her first date, like I'm sure this is what Princess Peach would drink if she ever went on a date with Mario--"

"Shut up," Frank giggles, giving Gerard a playful shove to his side. "Oh my god, I fucking hate you!"

Gerard ducks his head and laughs as Frank presses his palms to his back and continues telling him just how much he fucking sucks. 

"Naw, man, I really like it, though," Gerard says once they've sobered up a bit. "Much better than any fucking foam leaf, okay?" And he thinks Frank looks kind of pleased when he walks back behind his counter, and Frank's still grinning wide when he starts serving another customer, like he just can't stop smiling.


End file.
